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Published: August 24th 2010
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Me and Cassie
Arriving in Tuk Tuk styleeee Phnom Penh (another Romanization: Phnum Pénh. literally: "Hill of Penh" or more loosely "Penh's Hill") is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic activities. Phnom Penh has grown to become the industrial, commercial, cultural, tourist and historical center of Cambodia.
Once known as the "Pearl of Asia", it was considered one of the loveliest of French-built cities in Indochina in the 1920s. Phnom Penh, along with Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, are significant global and domestic tourist destinations for Cambodia. Founded in 1434, the city is noted for its beautiful and historical architecture and attractions. There are a number of surviving French colonial buildings, such as the Royal Palace, Phsar Thmei, and other French style buildings along the grand boulevards.
Situated on the banks of the Tonlé Sap, Mekong and Bassac rivers, Phnom Penh is home to more than 2 million of Cambodia's population of over 14 million. It is the wealthiest and most populous city in Cambodia and is home to the country's political hub. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phnom_Penh
Cambodia.
Any country where your first steps on land are spent crawling up a muddy slope (complete with huge backpack on back and big one one my front) and then you are greeted with a bucket of cold water being thrown over your legs, you know has got to be good!!! I think I was expecting some kind of jetty?! I think my expectations were slightly off!!!
So we piled up the hill, were washed down and then sent to pee in a weird loo in this woman's house (think 'pond'). We then squished like sardines into this little van and set off on the hour long drive to Phnom Penh. I got awful travel sickness near the end. Fortunately, someone put gum in my mouth, water in my hand and my head out of the window. I practically crawled out of the bus at the other end and on to a sofa of a travel cafe. A lovely lass called Cassie carried me bag and went and got me some water until I felt a bit better...
We
Ah bliss...
Mozzie net AND fan. Lovely jubbly, made a visit to the S-21 prison. For those who don't know what it is:
"Formerly the Chao Ponhea Yat High School, named after a Royal ancestor of King Norodom Sihanouk, the five buildings of the complex were converted in August 1975, four months after the Khmer Rouge won the civil war, into a prison and interrogation center. The Khmer Rouge renamed the complex "Security Prison 21" (S-21) and construction began to adapt the prison to the inmates: the buildings were enclosed in electrified barbed wire, the classrooms converted into tiny prison and torture chambers, and all windows were covered with iron bars and barbed wire to prevent escapes.
From 1975 to 1979, an estimated 17,000 people were imprisoned at Tuol Sleng (some estimates suggest a number as high as 20,000, although the real number is unknown). At any one time, the prison held between 1,000-1,500 prisoners. They were repeatedly tortured and coerced into naming family members and close associates, who were in turn arrested, tortured and killed. In the early months of S-21's existence, most of the victims were from the previous Lon Nol regime and included soldiers, government officials, as well as academics, doctors, teachers, students,
Lovely lady at the market
Bought this lovely dress (OK I bought 2 but she gave me a good deal after I haggled!)..this lady had the best giggle in the world and a gorgeous little boy too... factory workers, monks, engineers, etc. Later, the party leadership's paranoia turned on its own ranks and purges throughout the country saw thousands of party activists and their families brought to Tuol Sleng and murdered."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuol_Sleng_Genocide_Museum
The place is chilling. Rows and rows of photographed faces stare out at you. You can even see the chair they would have been photographed in. Piles of the victims clothes were piled up in glass cabinets and blood markings still covered the floor. The killing was just barbaric - they would take babies and smash them up against trees in front of the mothers until dead...all to save 'wasting' bullets. The women would then be raped. A real example of just how sick and cruel human kind can be.
The fact that it only finished 31 years ago really is quite scary.
There were lots of beggars at the entrance - the main one that sticks in my mind is a guy that had major burns - you could barely see his eyeballs and had small holes for nostrils... quite disturbing. Poor guy.
Can't say I was sad to leave PP -
Since leaving I have met a couple of westerners who live here who have said it's actually a really great place if you know where you're going....so maybe next time....
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